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Royal Mail trials “parcel postboxes” to support smaller online sellers

Royal Mail is trialling a new type of postbox which will allow smaller sellers to use them for posting pre-paid parcels.

The firm plans to base the new units on its existing meter mail drop boxes, which have a wider aperture and secure design.

In the initial trial, the company will repurpose existing mail drop boxes, installing 17 in Northampton and 13 in Leicester.

The service will only be available to parcels which have been pre-paid through Royal Mail’s online labelling system Click & Drop. The service allows users to send a parcel without having to register and integrates with marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Shopify.

The trial will last until 5 November, when Royal Mail will review consumer feedback and usage and decide whether to introduce the new postboxes across the UK.

Royal Mail’s initiative looks to target small businesses and marketplace sellers which need to ship goods.

“The trial of parcel postboxes is one of the many ways we at Royal Mail are looking to make the lives of customers easier, giving them more options that suit how they want to do business,” said a spokesperson for Royal Mail Parcels.

“The trial is aimed at giving more flexibility to online sellers who might be running a business in their spare time and not keeping regular office hours.”

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